International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT): amendments to the management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Convention Area

The Committee on Fisheries adopted the report by Clara AGUILERA (S&D, ES) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2107 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Convention area of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and Regulation (EU) .../2022 establishing a multiannual management plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean.

The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows:

The report included the most updated ICCAT recommendations and consequently, many other amendments were included in order to transpose recommendations adopted during 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 annual meetings that were not transposed yet.

Amendments were made to Regulation (EU) 2017/2107 in order to implement into Union law ICCAT measures for tropical tunas, Mediterranean albacore, North and Southern Atlantic albacore, sailfish, blue and white marlin, billfish data reporting, North and South Atlantic shortfin mako shark, by-catch of turtles, and provisions related to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, as well as an observer programme which includes responsibilities for scientific observers, and an updated list of ICCAT species.

Moreover, amendments were made to Regulation (EU) XX/2022 establishing a multiannual management plan for the bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean in order to implement into Union law bluefin tuna management provisions related to definitions, quota transfers, retention prohibition, sport and recreational fisheries, farms record, reporting, transfer authorisations, caging identifiers, caging authorisations, caging operations and their video monitoring, control of caging, harvesting control activities in the farms after caging.